Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN!
Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2019.

I had an email from someone not to be named to the effect of: "Why are you boasting about your Mayflower ancestors? Are you trying to show that you are a better researcher than the rest of us? Or that these passengers were somehow special?"

Um, no, I'm not "boasting," just documenting the lines from my Mayflower ancestors so that it might help other researchers. It's "cousin bait." It is also the week of the American Thanksgiving holiday, and another geneablogger started the list meme going, so I joined in. I think most readers understand all of this, but at least one didn't!

Am I a "better researcher?" Um, no - I have done no original research on the Mayflower passengers. I have done research on my lines from the passengers. Other researchers have done an excellent job of finding and documenting the records and family relationships of many of the passengers.

These passengers are "special" to me, they're my ancestors who shared in an historic adventure to North America. They are part of history, as are ALL persons, but these Mayflower folks are better known and widely researched as a result.

How might it help another researcher? Let's say that a beginning genealogist has just found a couple by diligently researching back in time - for example, perhaps s/he found that s/he was descended from Eliza Putman and Alexander Sovereign. Then s/he Googled the couple and found the My Mayflower Connections - 7. Edward Fuller post. Do you think s/he would be excited? Do you think s/he would contact me and ask for me to share whatever information I was willing to share? Do you think that she might have family, photographs, or letters, or records that s/he could share with me? That's what we're all striving for with many of our research posts, Surname Saturday posts, etc., isn't it?

6 comments:

By chance here in the UK the BBC broadcast the latest series of Whondonyou think you are (US) I can not recall the name of the actress, but she connected to the William Bewster line, originally from York, migrated to the US on board the Mayflower. A search of the web site for the broadcasting station will I am sure provide the details of the actress. I alas deleted the recording after watching, & now can not recall the name. If I remember will drop you a comment.

I sometimes receive similar comments from folks when they find out I am involved with the Mayflower Society. I tell them that the reason I joined the Society was because filling out the application, and having it ACCEPTED, was like winning a Pulitzer prize for genealogists. I, like many other members, never intended to join a meeting (most folks hang the certificate on the wall and that's it). But we went to a luncheon and I had so much fun meeting cousins that I haven't missed a luncheon yet in almost 10 years. Every table was full of cousins, and they all greeted me with open arms, stories and laughs. There wasn't a snob or millionaire in the room- retired plumbers, teachers, librarians, mechanics, accountants and regular folks. We all know the stories about our families and it is fun to know that "my ancestor went hunting for fowl with your ancestor in 1621" or "your cousin married my ancestor's daughter". It is the fun that drew me to the organization, nothing else!

Scott is right...what made that doofus think that you (or any of us) have control over how, when or by what ship our ancestors immigrated.

I am just as proud of my father's father who immigrated as a young boy from Alsace, as I am of my mother's father's family reputed to have founded Gettysburg and immigrated from Scotland in the 1700's.

My goodness! what a sad email to receive . . . Your reply was right on and very nice ~smiles~ I am afraid I might not have been as nice! I enjoyed all the blogs about the ancestors from the Mayflower. I was very envious ~laughs~

I have a few connections with the families from the Mayflower, but they are from marriages, not direct lines. I wish I had a direct line, but I still enjoy reading the research that has already been done on the Mayflower families and being able to add them to my database. I have learned additional information on my direct lines by researching these collateral lines.

Genealogy Jamboree 2019

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About Me

I am a native San Diegan, a graduate of San Diego State University, a retired aerospace engineer, a genealogist and a family guy.
My wife (Angel Linda) and I have two lovely daughters, and five darling grandchildren. We love to visit them and have them visit us.
Angel Linda and I love to travel to visit friends and relatives, to sightsee, to cruise or to do genealogy. Our travels have taken us all over the USA, to England, Down Under and Scandinavia.
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Contact me via email at randy.seaver@gmail.com